Questions
by miamijuggler
Summary: Funimation needs to do more character development than just the fighting aspect of each person. Here's my contribution on how Eighteen and Krillin got together.
1. Chapter One

"Questions"

by Mark Buchholz

Author's Note:

                       I am frustrated with Funimation because they never explain what happens in those seven years after the defeat of Cell. I'm not saying that they should detail the entire seven years, but some major developments like _marriage and __children, shouldn't just be glossed over. That said, I'm writing about Krillin and Eighteen because Krillin is a badass, and he's the one that got me hooked on DBZ. If you want specifics, it would be episode 143 – Krillin's Decision.  Plus, I've always felt that Eighteen was the hottest out of all the DBZ chicks, so I'm glad that she ended up with my man Krillin. Okay, so my psychological justification crap is out of the way, and now you can (hopefully) enjoy my fic. _

                       A streak of orange and navy blue arced through the pristine sky, and the sky itself was mirrored in the cerulean waters below. Krillin was glad to be heading home. He breathed deeply and enjoyed being alive.

                       It was finally over. Cell had been defeated, and Krillin could finally sleep well at night. There would be no more sleeping in shifts, no more worrying about the destruction of Earth, and no more fearing for his life. 

                        Gazing down at the waters' surface ahead of him, Krillin looked for the small, familiar island where he had lived most of his life. 

                       He was tired now, but it was a fulfilled, content kind of tired. Glad that he could relax again, Krillin slowly floated down towards the waters' surface as he continued speeding eastwards. He slowed down enough to where he could reach down and intermittently touch the tops of the waves, sending up wild white spray in his wake. The sunshine felt good on his back. 

                       There. Up ahead, and a little to his left, he could see the outline of the Kame House. Altering his course appropriately, he prepared himself for a long afternoon of story telling, as Master Roshi would want to know everything that happened. 

***********************

                       It was long dark before he finished telling the story. 

                       "Interesting," said Master Roshi, "So Gohan did all that, eh?"

                       "Yep,"

                       "Well, say hello to Trunks for me when you see him off tomorrow." 

                       "Okay," Krillin made the mental note, "I'll do that. But now I'm gonna get some sleep."

                       Roshi laughed. 

                       "Okay, good night, Krillin."

                       Krillin trudged up the stairs to the room he had occupied for so many years, even after Roshi had nothing more to teach him. Now he had time to think, to slowly digest the day's events, at least, those events that were most important to him. Undressing, he let his thoughts wander unhurriedly whither they were wont to. His weary muscles groaned in relief as he slipped beneath the sheets and let himself be pulled beneath consciousness. 

                       His dreams were seasoned by a particularly stunning blonde.

***********************

                       Sunlight glinted off of a swatch of her blonde hair as she watched the males converse about her. Krillin was mistaken. How could he even _think_ that Seventeen was her…ugh…boyfriend? 

                       The record needed to be set straight. 

                       "Hello?" she shouted, jumping out from behind the pillar which hid her. 

                       She heard Krillin mumble something like "There she is!"

                       Hopefully he wouldn't take this the wrong way. 

                       "Hey! Boneheads!" she shouted, "Seventeen is my twin brother!"

                       "Oh, man…" Krillin muttered. He looked genuinely apologetic, knowing that something like that would annoy her greatly. Eighteen was almost touched. Almost, until Yamcha opened his mouth. 

                       "No! This is excellent, you dope! Didn't you hear her? That guy's her twin brother!" He laughed stupidly.

                       Eighteen grew livid. She hated that idiotic male attitude more than anything else. 

                       "I wouldn't celebrate if I were you." She shouted angrily, "If you think you've won my heart because of that lousy wish you're mistaken! I didn't ask for your help!" Krillin needed to be dissuaded from that type of thinking. 

                       She turned her back to him. Yet she couldn't bring herself to hate him. She spoke only to him this time.

                       "But it was really nice of you…" the harsh edge was gone from her voice. It was almost affectionate, she realized, hoping that he wouldn't misinterpret _that_ as well.

                       "It was?" he stammered, "You mean, you're _not_ mad at me?"

                       "Not really, no."

                       "Well then, would you like to come over and join us?" There was nothing hidden in his voice. It was really nothing more than a friendly invitation. But she didn't need to think to answer.

                       "No thanks."

                       She ran to the edge of the platform and left.

                       Eighteen plummeted down, not even expending energy to fly, just falling down from the immense height of the platform, and realized that she had no idea where she was going. 

                       _Where can I go?_

                       The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had nowhere to go. Everything she had in this world had been destroyed by Cell, almost including herself. Sixteen and Seventeen were gone, despite the wish the Z Fighters had spent trying to bring back all the victims of Cell. Sixteen and Seventeen, her only companions. Had it not been for Krillin, she herself wouldn't be alive. How she had gotten out of Cell after he had absorbed her, she didn't know. She hadn't bothered to ask. 

                       More and more questions reared themselves in her head as she continued her long fall to Earth. She loathed the idea of crawling back to those fools in exchange for answers. She had more dignity than that. 

                       Krillin's seemingly odd behavior shortly before Cell absorbed her was explained, he obviously had a crush on her, but that still didn't answer the question of why. She had terrorized so many people, and yet, the man still harbored feelings for her. It confused Eighteen thoroughly. 

                       She admitted to herself that out of the lot of them, Krillin was the only one she could stand.  He was the only one that didn't sound like a complete chauvanistic idiot whenever he opened his mouth. 

                       She broke through the clouds into a partly cloudy day below, the mid afternoon sun shining brightly. 

                       _I still have nowhere to go._

                       She turned a quick, easy, graceful somersault, pulled into level flight and sped off towards the horizon. 

***********************

                       Krillin watched the palm frond lazily wave at him in the tropical breeze outside his window. He hadn't gotten up yet, but was very much awake. He could hear Master Roshi rummaging around downstairs, but other than that, the tiny island was quiet. 

                       _I actually have time now to sit back and do nothing._

                       The idea was a novel one, and Krillin enjoyed it. 

                       And yet, in his pleasant repose, the Loneliness crept up on him. The Loneliness that had been following him around for years. It came and went as it pleased, and he never knew when it would would strike and kill his spirit all over again. He hid it from his friends, because he thought they couldn't relate. No one else seemed to feel this vacuum that he felt in his heart. It was never an issue with Piccolo, or Goku, or Tien. They all passed through life without ever feeling this emptiness which he now felt. 

                       Seeing as he had the time to spare, and very little desire left in him to fight it off, Krillin let the Loneliness overtake him, and sank into its depression. 

                       He thought of Eighteen. No, perhaps she wasn't mad at him, but she would never feel for him what he felt for her. As an android, was she even capable of such emotions? He didn't know. He had the distinct feeling that even though they were on good terms, he would never see her again. She had her own life to live, and she had expressed her desire to go live it on her own when she declined his offer to come hang out with him and the Z Fighters.

                       _No, she isn't coming back._

_                       So you might as well put her out of your mind, Krillin._

                       But he dwelled on the memory of her, savoring the pain as it shot through his heart. His left cheek tingled as he remembered where she had kissed him. The kiss that brought about the gestalten switch. The switch from seeing her one way, as an android designed to kill and maim, to a person. A particularly attractive young lady with grace, confidence, and courage. 

                       When he finally decided that he had sulked enough, Krillin rolled out of bed, and padded over to his dresser, where he kneeled and was about to begin the daily ritual of shaving his head, but as he looked in the mirror he questioned why he maintained the habit anymore. 

                       Staring at his own reflection, Krillin's outlook on life changed. The almighty Senzu bean did wonders for one's vitality, but it didn't stop the aging process altogether.

                       _Maybe it's time to retire. There's not much I can do anymore, with Gohan, Vegeta, and everyone else being so much more powerful than I could ever hope to be. I've done my part; I think I'm getting too old for this stuff._

                       He stared at himself for a long time before finally coming to a decision.

                       And so, for the first time in seventeen years, Krillin reverently put away his razor and did not shave his head.


	2. Chapter Two

                       Icy blue eyes searched the horizon, searching for answers that wouldn't be given. The cold rain plastered her hair and her clothes to her skin, but she hardly noticed. What cruel trick of the Fates was it that left her alone in this world? It would have been easier to be absorbed and destroyed along with Cell. 

                       The thought had never occurred to her that Sixteen and Seventeen wouldn't be there one day, and so she hadn't made an effort to connect with people outside of her two colleagues. Now there was no one. Eighteen craved a connection with another intelligent being. After weeks of solitude, even listening to someone else ramble on would be pleasant. She didn't even know anyone by name except those blasted Z Fighters. She tried not to think about going to Krillin for help, but the more she explored other avenues, the more it became apparent that it was the best course of action. 

                       Her clothes were worn and now bore stains and dirt. She had not bathed in days. The rocky ground was her most common bed, and there was hardly a bite to eat out here in the wilderness, not to mention the complete lack of toilet facilities. 

                       Anger flared up in her, and she lost her temper for the third time this week. 

                       "Why!" she shouted at the empty sky. 

                       "WHY!"

                       She raised an arm and scorched the air, sending an energy blast directly through a wall of trees. Riding the crest of her raging emotion, Eighteen shot a series of blasts with no direct target, her screams blinded by rage. 

                       Only when she could fire no more did she stop, gasping for breath, and stared contemptuously at the pile of ashes that once was a line of trees. 

                       She gave a "Hmph," of disdain, and turned to walk the opposite direction. 

                       If she was going to see Krillin she would at least clean herself up. 

***********************

                       At this point, Krillin was thoroughly enjoying his vacation. He kept himself busy doing next to nothing, and thoughts of Eighteen had become a rare commodity. Yesterday's grueling marathon of sitting in the sun, combined with the extreme effort of fishing and catching nothing were fresh in his memory. However, regardless of the rest of his busy schedule, Krillin still found time three times a week to wake up early, and head to the mainland to train. 

                       The island the Kame House rested on was too small to do any significant training, and there was only so much Krillin could take of Master Roshi's snoring. So on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Krillin flew out to Tien's place and went on training runs with him. They would usually jog a few miles, do some _kata_, or forms, and then spar for a bit, before cooling down with a jog back to Tien's home. While Tien's larger size and strength worked against Krillin, it forced him to work on his agility and focus on his techniques. 

                       One particular Friday, about three weeks into Krillin's vacation, Tien wasn't home when Krillin arrived for their training session. Figuring either something unexpected happened that caused Tien to cancel without notice, or that Tien had just forgotten and stayed out late last night, Krillin sat down on Tien's front step and pondered his next move. 

                       "Well," he spoke to himself, "I've come all the way out here, I might as well do some training on my own, then."

                       He got up again and started a leisurely jog down the familiar path that they always took through the woods. 

                       Krillin let his footsteps lead him and let his body settle into the rhythm. Once his circulation was going, and he had built up a sheen of sweat on his forehead, he upped his speed, letting himself ride on the endorphins coursing through his system. Deciding to make things interesting, Krillin strayed from the cleanly cut path, and onto the root-entangled forest floor. 

                       Darting among the trees and hopping over gnarly roots, Krillin thoroughly enjoyed his game, the humid morning fog parting in stray wisps as it let him pass and continued its rise up through the canopy. 

                       His heart pumped hard as he struggled to keep up his speed amidst the

                       "Krillin,"

                       That voice that rang out like a gunshot and a bell at the same time. There was nothing loud about it, it just cut through everything else he was hearing.

                       Krillin tripped over a root and was sent sprawling face-first into the dirt. 

                       She didn't even crack a smile. 

                       Krillin got up and brushed himself off, trying to get most of the mud off the left side of his face while looking around to find the source of the voice. 

                       "Finally you come alone," said Eighteen. She barely recognized him with the short crop of jet black hair he had now.

                       Krillin saw her. She still managed to take his breath away, partly from her looks, and partly from fear. She was the same as she ever was. Immutable. There she stood, calm, cool and collected, leaning up against a tree, her arms folded, her deadly eyes fixed on him.

                       In an effort to look a bit more presentable, Krillin continued to try to wipe the mud from his face, but was unsuccessful, as he couldn't see what he was doing. After a few failed attempts, Eighteen spoke.

                       "Here, I'll get it." Her voice was still cold and guarded, as well as bit frustrated at his incapability to do the thing right at the moment.

                       With her left hand, she grabbed his face and held it to one side, too firm to be pleasant, but not to roughly so as to be painful. With the other hand she deftly brushed the dirt from his cheek. Krillin tried not to be too aware of her hands on his face, but then also realized that she could easily crush his skull in this position, so he tried to remain calm and still. Her eyes lost none of their hardness, as she focused intently on the task at hand. There was nothing romantic about it, at least, from Eighteen's end. 

                       She released his face and brushed her hand off on her jeans. Krillin was still too dumbfounded to speak.

                       "I've been meaning to ask you some questions," her eyes narrowed, inspecting him, "but you're a difficult man to reach alone."

                       Krillin found his voice.

                       "Oh, uh… well, sorry about that… it's just that, uh…."

                       "You don't need to explain," she cut him off.

                       An uncomfortable silence fell between the two of them.

                       He sensed that she was very on guard, as usual, and didn't have much patience at the moment.

                       He saw a breaking point in her eyes, but before he could discern what it was, she turned away from him.

                       "How did I get out of Cell?" she asked.

                       The question struck him as odd.

                       "What do you mean?"

                       She wheeled around to face him, eyes flashing.

                       "I mean," she snapped, "I was absorbed by Cell. I know that much, because after the solar flare, I don't remember a thing until I woke up on that platform!"

                       Krillin recoiled.

                       _Oh boy, strike one..._ he thought.

                       "Well,…uh…" her eyes were really distracting, "I don't really know how it happened, I just know that at one point, Gohan gave Cell a powerful kick to the midsection, and then Cell got sick and kind of, um… vomited you up."

                       Krillin hoped that his answer would satisfy her, and not disgust her. 

                       She continued staring at him for a second, then turned away again. 

                       "Then where are Sixteen and Seventeen, if your wish was supposed to bring back all the victims of Cell?"

                       Some of Krillin's fear ebbed away. She just wanted to know where her friends were. He tried to be as honest as possible.

                       "I really don't know why they couldn't be brought back. I guess Shenron has his limits."

                       He looked at her sympathetically even though she was turned away.

                       Summoning up some courage, he added,

                       "I guess for your sake I wish they would have been brought back."

                       She turned to face him again, a distorted look on her face. Was it anger? Or was it…

                       Why was he making this so difficult?

                       _He's just a stupid human._

                       But looking at him standing there, fearless now, that look in his eyes that said he only wanted to help, she felt that something didn't fit right. One too many pieces of the puzzle. She decided to play her Ace; another question that had been bugging her for a while. 

                       "Why do you have feelings for me, Krillin?"

                       The question caught him completely off guard, and he almost swooned with panic. Blushing furiously, he hurriedly sought after an answer, realizing that there was no way he was getting out of answering it, and knowing that she would instantly see through any excuses he could come up with. Resigning himself to giving an honest answer, he calmed down visibly.

                       "I, uh… I don't know," he said softly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "Goku once told me that there are questions out there that don't have answers."

                       He looked up at her: "I guess this is one of those questions."

                       She regarded him for a long moment. 

                       He continued looking at her with those eyes that held no lies. This time it was she that grew uncomfortable under his stare. 

                       She leaned back against her tree and lifted her gaze to the sky. 

                       "I guess I owe you a measure of thanks."

                       Krillin was unsure of what to say.

                       "Even though you did leave me stranded without any friends," she added bitterly.

                       "You always have a friend in me," he said, immediately regretting having spoken the words. Her gaze shot back at him.

                       _Strike two…_

                       Her eyes dripped with suspicion and a little bit of anger. 

                       "I mean, uh… well, just that regardless of my feelings…you can count on me if you need to."

                       The anger faded from her eyes, but she was still plenty suspicious.

                       "And I won't listen to a word Yamcha says," said Krillin, guessing at her thoughts and smiling slightly.

                       Her eyes widened, then narrowed again. 

                       "You had better not be lying to me, Krillin."

                       With that she shot through the forest canopy, ending their meeting.


	3. Chapter Three

                       It was a week and half before she spoke to him again. 

                       Krillin and Tien were sparring in a clearing, and looking past Tien for a moment, he saw her standing on top of a distant hill. His surprise caused him to hesitate and get kicked in the face. Hard.

                       Tien helped him up again kindly.

                       "What happened, man? Why'd you stop?"

                       Krillin leaned heavily on Tien and waited for his vision to clear before answering.

                       "Oh… I uh, I…"he looked up at the hill in the distance again; she was nowhere to be seen.

                       "Um, it was nothing… I guess I blinked or something," Krillin joked. 

                       His jaw ached terribly, making it difficult to talk. Tien had really knocked him a good one. 

                       "I think I'm gonna take off for today," Krillin said, "I've got some errands to run."

                       "Okay, man. You sure you don't wanna have a late breakfast with me?"

                       "Nah…thanks, though."

                       "All right, see you Friday, then."

                       "Later, Tien."

                       Krillin and Tien sped off in opposite directions. Tien in the direction of his home, and Krillin in the direction of where he had last seen Eighteen. 

                       He slowly dropped below the canopy as his eyes searched the ground between the trees.

                       "So what's with the hair?" he heard her say.

                       He dropped to the ground, seeing her step out from behind a tree. 

                       His hair wasn't nearly long enough to run his hand through, but he did it anyways, because he was nervous. 

                       "I guess I've kind of retired. With Gohan and everyone being so powerful, there's not much I can do these days. I just can't keep up with those saiyans, I guess."

                       Her eyes narrowed at him again. He was  aware of his own limitations. That was good. The male ego often overruled reason. 

                       "Does it look good?"

                       There was nothing conceited about the question. He just wanted to know if he looked like a fool or not. 

                       "It looks fine," she said, barely even smiling. It was difficult to ignore the large red footprint on the side of his face. 

                       There was a small pause. 

                       "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Krillin said.

                       "Yes," came the immediate response. 

                       Krillin fell silent once again.

                       Another long pause. 

                       "I didn't mean to interrupt your training session," Eighteen wasn't used to apologizing, so it was somewhat difficult for her. Even though she didn't know why she should be.

                       "Yeah, you really startled me," chuckled Krillin.

                       Eighteen continued to regard him carefully. She had found herself looking forward to this meeting all week, and it was really only an accident that he had seen her. She hadn't intended to be seen. 

                       An alarming thought entered her head. 

                       "You didn't tell Tien about me, did you?" she asked rather vehemently.

                       Krillin took a step backwards. He still couldn't quite anticipate her mood swings. 

                       "Oh, uh… no, no, I didn't say a word!"

                       He still wasn't completely sure that she wasn't going to kill him if given reason. However, she calmed down considerably once he had spoken.

                       _Funny, she thought,__ I've been anticipating this conversation all week, and now I can't think of a thing to say. I've forgotten everything I wanted to ask him now._

                       She turned and walked away from Krillin.

                       After a few steps, she turned and looked back at him. Her eyes were not as hard and piercing as they once were.

                       "You coming?" was all she said. The harshness was gone from her voice, as well.

                       Krillin hurried to follow her. She continued walking. 

                       Krillin was extremely confused. She just kept walking in silence. So many questions raised themselves in his mind. _Where are we going? Why isn't she saying anything? Why doesn't she want me to tell Tien? So many questions, but she had just about forbidden him to ask any. The last thing he wanted to do was drive her away. _

                       They walked out of the small grove where they had spoken, and now up the slope of  a low, grassy hill. She led the way, if ever there was one, and he followed at her side. 

                       After quite a while of walking in silence, when Krillin found himself just settling into the situation, becoming comfortable with the silence, she spoke.

                       "You are not to tell anyone about me."

                       Her voice kind of scared him at first, coming out of the long silence, and it took him a moment to figure out what she had actually said. 

                       "I wasn't going to," came the response.

                       She looked at him and was once again faced with Krillin's overwhelming honesty. Truth dripped from his words. 

                       "Why are you so honest?"

                       "Huh?"

                       "I mean, you sound so completely honest and truthful, that I can hardly imagine you lying."

                       Krillin laughed out loud.

                       "Heh, heh, that's an easy answer! The reason I'm so honest is because I'm just a horrible lier!"

                       He was right. Krillin _was horrible at lying, and because of it, she could see he had become used to telling the truth and able  to convince people instantly that he __was indeed, telling the truth. _

                       She smiled slightly.

                       "I guess you're right," she said. 

                       Krillin was still chuckling slightly to himself. To his surprise, she continued.

                       "Seventeen was always talking. He never really lied, but I always got the feeling that he wasn't telling me the whole truth. He always was holding something back, something for his own personal gain. I always felt that he was plotting something bigger than what we were currently doing, and not letting me in on it."

                       He looked over at her. Her eyes were down, her face lost in the past. 

                       Krillin let her lose herself, and was content to walk quietly beside her. Long minutes passed in the silence. It was half an hour before she spoke again. 

                       "See you next time," she said out of nowhere.

                       Without further comment, she leapt off the ground and disappeared into the sapphire sky. 

                       Krillin was utterly confused. 

                       "I'll _never understand women," he thought to himself. _

***********************

                       Eighteen sat alone, thinking, as was her usual pastime these days. Really, she was tired of it, but so many questions plagued her that she could not help but ponder them. At points it grew more exhausting than fighting. At least fighting she was good at. Nothing made her feel more helpless than sitting there for hours on end with the question "Why?" in her head, and not being able to come up with an answer. 

                       Insight visited her like a butterfly landing on her shoulder. 

                       What had Krillin said? That there are some questions that don't have answers? 

                       She tried that. Accepting that there would never be an answer to the question of why she was alone. 

                       It helped.

                       A little. 

                       This emotional stuff was still somewhat new to her. She had all the data processors she needed to do any mathematical computations she needed. Even those processors and enhancements that guided her advanced fighting ability worked on the basis of a mathematical formula, incorporating almost every law of physics without her even thinking about it. 

                       But her emotions did not fit nicely into one neat, numerical package. Apathy would quickly exchange itself for anger and desire. It bothered her to no extent that there was nothing she could do about it. Releasing her anger in violent gestures only worked some of the time, and lost its potency after too many paroxysms. 

                       _Here I am, probably the most advanced machine on the planet, and I can't even figure out if I'm hot or cold. _

                       Even more advanced than Sixteen and Seventeen. The latest model, the most updated version. During their time together, Eighteen had noticed subtle differences between herself and Seventeen, most often relating to their encounters with humans. Whereas Seventeen seldom understood or even thought about the reasons behind human actions, Eighteen could usually see people's motivations and cues for certain actions. Seventeen would often need it explained to him why people groveled a certain way, or why one store manager would show no fear where another would falter. 

                       Exactly what had she been given that had been missing in Sixteen and Seventeen? Not emotions, though they were lacking somewhat in Sixteen. Seventeen had his moods and pet peeves. What had Gero been working toward? Something in her mind suggested that it was not just the destruction of Goku. 

                       If it wasn't emotion, then what was it?

                       _Compassion?_

                       The thought rumbled around inside her head for a while, neither affirming nor denying any of her suspicions and conjectures. 

                       She decided to save the question for Krillin.


	4. Chapter Four

                       Krillin wandered through the forest, his footsteps unsure. Instead of his fighting _gi, he now wore drawstring khaki pants and a light gray tshirt. He had even traded in his fighting boots for more comfortable sneakers. _

                       She smiled as he wandered past, not even noticing her. 

                       Krillin had come alone in the hopes that she might show up, because it seemed that she wouldn't reveal herself to him when anyone else was around. Despite her curious habits, Krillin was willing to offer whatever help he could. 

                       A twig snapped.

                       Krillin spun around and saw nothing. 

                       He called upon his body's energy and let it rise within him, readying himself for combat. His heart rate climbed, his muscles drew more oxygen, relaxed yet standing by for that snap-fast reaction that might be needed.The wolves in these woods were often larger than normal, and more ferocious. They hunted in packs. 

                       Krillin's senses heightened. His vision grew more acute, as did his hearing. A passing hummingbird's wings were now only an easy sway to and fro in Krillin's eyes. A tree branch groaned from high above. He felt, rather than heard, an acorn hit the ground behind him. A certain stir of the air and his muscles snapped into action. 

                       He leapt aside, spinning out of the way, turning to face his former position. A large concussive wave caused him to transfer most of his weight to his rear foot, maintaining his balance. 

                       Where he had been standing the damp earth was disrupted. Beside the rather sizable hole stood Eighteen, calm, cold, and casual. 

                       "You're late," she said.

                       Krillin was thoroughly confused, but he didn't drop his guard. As far as he knew, there was no preordained time that they were to meet. 

                       She sighed slightly.

                       "That was supposed to be a joke,"her voice was softer again, more conversational. 

                       It took a while for this to register on Krillin. His guard dropped, but only slightly. He managed to unclench his fists.

                       Eighteen rolled her eyes and sighed again in exasperation.

                       "I'm not going to hurt you."

                       Krillin relaxed visibly, but was still suspicious. 

                       "Sit down, Krillin."

                       He sat with his back to the trunk of a tree, and she did the same against a tree opposite him.

                       She looked at him for a bit, contemplating her next move. 

                       "What makes me different from Sixteen and Seventeen?" she asked rather quietly.

                       Krillin looked at her with a little bit of indignance, but did not answer. 

                       She felt her anger rise up within her, but before she could do anything he spoke. His voice was soft, and quavered a little, yet there was great resolve hidden within it. 

                       "I'm not telling you anything until you answer some of my questions."

                       Eighteen's eyes widened with surprise. She certainly hadn't expected _this of him. He was supposed to follow at her heels like an obedient little dog. She reconsidered her opinion of Krillin, and realized that he was not someone she could just use and discard at this point. She had never paused to consider that he might have questions eating away at him, too. Krillin deserved more from her. _

                       She took a deep breath and chose her words carefully.

                       "You're right," she said seriously.

                       _That took a lot of effort, she thought._

                       "I suppose I owe you some answers."

                       Krillin thought for a bit, trying to keep the questions that were most pressing in his mind from fighting themselves out. Those were best reserved for a more appropriate time. He found one that was acceptable.

                       "Why don't you want me to tell anyone else that you're around?"

                       She resigned herself to what was coming.

                       "Because I greatly dislike most of your friends."

                       Krillin absorbed this for a moment, then spoke again.

                       "Why not?"

                       "I have a serious problem with the way they deal with situations. It seems to them that everything can be resolved through fighting. Problem solving through agression and violence; typical male traits."

                       "So you're a feminist?" Krillin said.

                       "I guess you could say that," she said, raising an eyebrow and smiling slightly.

                       Krillin smiled along with her. 

                       He thought for a second longer, then said, "All right, here's the deal: You ask me a question, I answer, then I get to ask you a question. We take turns, okay?"

                       She stared at him with a bit of indignation for a moment, then realized she was comfortable with this arrangement. 

                       "Fine. It's my turn now," her voice left no room for argument.

                       Krillin expected this. "Go on," he said.

                       She put on her business face once again.

                       "What makes me different from Sixteen and Seventeen?"

                       "Well, uh… before you, um…" the memory of Eighteen giving him that kiss flashed through his mind. He forcefully pushed the thought away. It would be awhile before she would answer _that question._

                       "Before I really knew you…" that wasn't the wording Krillin was looking for, but it would do, "You always seemed the most…human."

                       Krillin winced, fearing he was touching on a sensitive subject, but she only seemed to be listening intently. He kept going.

                       "The way you moved, and what you said. Even what you didn't say. Seventeen was always talking about his strength and what he would do with it. It always made him seem more like an android than a human. In fact, for a while I thought you were just along for the ride."

                       He chuckled nervously a little. 

                       She sat in silence, taking it in. Her eyes downcast and lost in the floor.

                       _Humanity?__ Is that what Gero gave me? Or rather, what he didn't take away in the first place? Had he succeeded in enhancing a human without taking away that which made them human? Perhaps that what he was working towards……It fits, kind of… I guess I'll never know._

                       She looked up at him.

                       "Your turn."

                       Out of nowhere, a very interesting question popped into Krillin's head.

                       "Where are you living?"

                       For the first time, he saw Android Eighteen caught off-guard. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked down with…was it…shame?

                       _She's homeless!_

                       It made perfect sense to Krillin. She had nowhere to go after the defeat of Cell, but her pride kept her from asking for help. Other small things clicked into place. She had always worn the same clothes every time he had seen her. A tiny tear on the sleeve of her shirt, the grass stain on the side of her jeans that hadn't quite washed away. Obviously she was making an attempt to conceal it from Krillin. 

                       "You don't have to answer if you don't want to," he said softly.

                       Once again he was under the gaze of her angry glare. To even suggest that she might be in the slightest way weak was to incur her wrath. 

                       She sprang to her feet.

                       "I don't need your help!" she yelled.

                       Krillin stood up slowly, and calmly walked over to her, taking out his wallet as he did so. He took all of the bills out of his billfold and pressed them into her hand.

                       "Yes you do."

                       The bills crumpled into her tightly clenched fist. She was shaking with rage. 

                       _How dare__ he!_

                       And yet, she could not deny the truth of his statement. The bills she held in her hand could buy her any number of things that she had been dearly desiring for the past couple of weeks. New clothes. A decent meal. _A hot shower! As much as she had searched for answers, she had also searched for a source of income, and here came Krillin, and had just pressed a rather sizable wad of zenni into her hand. She had almost lashed out and struck him, but he was just standing there with that dearly sympathetic smile on his face; she just couldn't bring herself to do it. _

                       After a short while of watching her internal conflict, Krillin turned and walked slowly out of the grove. 

                       "See you next time," was all he said. 

                       This, too, caught her off-guard. Had _he just walked out on __her? She almost demanded that he return immediately, but he was already out of sight. Only after standing there for a few minutes longer, staring at the bills in her hand, did it occur to her that she was sad to see him go. With difficulty she came to the realization that she enjoyed having him around. _

                       _Stupid human, she thought, although the thought didn't have all the vehemence she wanted it to._

                       She stuffed the bills into her pocket and flew off. 

***********************

                       "So _nice to see you, Eighteen."_

                       The voice twisted her heart with fear. 

                       A whisper of voices, many and unintelligible. She thought she heard her own scream of terror in there somewhere. 

                       Even though the day was warm, she was frozen. Sixteen stepped up in her defense. The immediacy of the thudding of his body against the floor made her queasy. 

                       Trunks blasts Vegeta into orbit…

                       And then He is walking toward her. The fear in her eyes equals the sadistic pleasure in His. She tried to cleanse the panic from her mind and managed to fire an energy blast at him, doing little or no damage, just buying herself a little time. 

                       The funnel-like tip opened, its gaping blackness sucking the breath out of her. 

                       Trunks's foot connected with the side of Cell's face. More time. 

                       She and Krillin are carrying a barely-conscious Sixteen. Those final moments. 

                       "What? What do you want?" she demanded, to which he didn't reply. 

                       Then came those final words she had heard so many times before. 

                       "My destiny awaits! Your time has expired, Android Eighteen!"

                       A white starburst and her eyes welded themselves shut. 

                       She tried to ignore the searing pain in her eyes and focus on her other senses.

                       She heard Krillin move around to the other side of her. Foolish, she thought. He probably couldn't see anything, either. 

                       Gravel crunched under someone heavy somewhere off to her right and behind her. 

                       She heard Cell fire an energy blast, followed shortly by Krillin's scream of pain as he sailed over her head and landed a few yards downfield. She turned to face Cell, not sure of what she could do to defend herself. 

                       Cold, sadistic laughter. He was thoroughly enjoying this. 

                       She was not going down without a fight. 

                       And then she could not fight anymore. Her world became quiet and dark, and it took her a moment to realize what had happened. Her legs were still free. She kicked frantically. She couldn't breathe. She was being pulled deeper into the wet, claustrophobic recesses. Panic took her. Thinking was no longer an option. Thrashing did little, because her arms were pinned to her sides. 

                       No air. _No Air! _

                       She couldn't breathe.

                       Couldn't breathe… couldn't…

                       Eighteen's eyes shot open, sucking in a deep breath of air. Her heart was racing, her skin beaded with sweat. She looked around. Tree trunks and a small creek constituted her surroundings. 

                       _That stupid dream again…_

                       She sat up and hugged her knees in the cool night breeze. The great desire to talk to someone rose in her again. 

                       _I can't go on like this…I haven't had a decent night's rest in over a month. Android or not, my body needs time to recover. _

                       Her thoughts strayed to Krillin. He had said that she could count on him if she needed to. She didn't want to lead him on, but she did need his help. Thinking on this she decided that Krillin was probably smart enough to know the difference between flirtation and a serious need for help. 


	5. Chapter Five

                       It was long after dawn when Eighteen finally awoke. The sunlight pressed brightly against the closely drawn curtains. She had slept like a stone last night. She checked her internal clock.

                       _Twelve thirty__…That's about fourteen hours of continuous sleep. _

                       The amount that Krillin had given her had been enough to afford two new sets of clothes, a wonderful meal at an all-you-can-eat place, and a night's stay at a respectable hotel. 

                       Despite the fact that she was in love with the soft, clean sheets, she coaxed herself out of bed with the thought of another hot shower and the delicious idea of wearing her new clothes. Her bare feet rested exquisitely on the carpeted floor as she listened to the muted sounds of traffic outside. She felt wonderfully refreshed. 

                       She padded over to the small but sufficient bathroom and picked up the complimentary comb. Although her hair was relatively well-behaved compared to other people, she still spent more than half an hour the previous evening combing out all the tangles that had built up over the weeks of inadequate care. 

                       She stared at her reflection and smiled slightly at herself. 

                       Krillin had known how much this meant to her, that bastard. The words echoed loudly through her head. 

                       _"I don't need your help!"… "Yes you do."_

                       The smile faded from her face as she pressed through the difficulty of admitting the truth of this to herself. 

                       _I need his help. But not just yet. I know that when the time is right, I will ask him for help, but not just yet. _

***********************

                       They were sitting, talking softly. Their game of Questions had gone on for hours today. They covered everything from Eighteen's favorite food (she didn't have one) to Krillin's lack of height (birth defect caused by an alcoholic mother). 

                       Eighteen was noticeably refreshed, and the new clothes looked stunning on her. But there was one question that had been bothering Krillin for a long time, and for a long time, he dared not ask it, but he couldn't take not knowing anymore. It nagged at the back of his mind like a pebble in his shoe that grew steadily larger with every passing day. He _had to know. _

                       "Why did you kiss me on that day, when you were looking for Goku with Seventeen and Sixteen?"

                       Eighteen's gaze settled comfortably across Krillin's uncomfortable face. She tried to answer as honestly as she could. 

                       "That was a long time ago, Krillin," there was a measure of warning in her voice, but then it softened again, "From what I can remember of the situation, I did it partly because I wanted to mess with your mind a bit. But I also did it because you were the only one who tried to talk us out of our task. Everyone else tried to solve the problem with their fists. You were the only one that knew you couldn't beat us, and still did your best without getting yourself hurt. I guess I admired that." 

                       Krillin's eyes dropped to the ground. It was obviously not the answer he was looking for. In an attempt to raise his spirits, Eighteen tried her hand at a joke. 

                       "Why? You want another one?"

                       The pain was almost too much for Krillin to bear. He knew he had violated the parameters of their relationship. He had crossed a line which could not be uncrossed. Now that she was mocking him made it hurt even more. He would probably never see her again after today. He looked at her and let the bitter pain settle into his heart. He managed to nod weakly, accepting the poisoned barb of her inquiry. He hated love. 

                       Without knowing why, Eighteen felt herself get up from where she was sitting across the clearing from Krillin, and walk over to him. She sat down next to him.

                       _It's just a kiss, I guess I'll humor him…the thought passed blankly through her head like someone else's voice. _

                       She felt herself lean close to him, caress his face with one hand and press her lips to his. 

                       Krillin's heart raced. This was the best and worst thing that had happened to him. She was kissing him, but he could tell she was just patronizing him, patronizing him with the worst of weapons: his own heart. Or was she? The kiss continued far past what he had expected, and the patronizing quality to it faded, then disappeared. She allowed herself to be pulled close to him, and slid her arm around his waist. 

                       The kiss became less friendly and more sensual, and though Eighteen tried to resist, she felt passion welling up within her. Her breaths were deep and fast, her arteries dilated, and she grew keenly aware of the areas where his body touched hers. Something animalistic in her stirred, and it scared the wits out of her. 

                       Without warning, Krillin was slammed back against the trunk of the tree. The kiss was gone, and so was Eighteen. He barely had time to see her disappearing through the trees, but there was something desperate in her run, and it took Krillin a minute to realize what it was: fear. 

                       A few more seconds and a few more puzzle pieces fell into place.

                       _That kiss scared the bejeezus out of her. _

                       He was on his feet and darting through the trees after her. He pushed his speed past superhuman limits as he tried to catch up to her, yet despite his efforts, he still sensed her energy far ahead of him. 

                       _She's quick._

                       Up ahead, Eighteen was running blind, not from Krillin, but from herself. Panic had gripped her, and she had pushed Krillin away and fled. He only needed to follow the trail of broken branches and torn leaves to find her. 

                       Eventually he found her in another clearing, somewhat out of breath and a wild look in her eyes. He barely had time to dodge the energy blast she sent his way.

                       "_Get away!"_

                       The blast would've killed him, had he been in its way.

                       "Eighteen…" he began, but was cut off by the necessity of dodging another energy blast. 

                       She flew through the forest canopy, and judging the angle, Krillin followed suit and managed to cut her off, though not without penalty. He heard ribs crack as she slammed into him and sent him tumbling off into the sky. 

                       She was livid. Livid and out of control. 

                       "Eighteen, please…" he managed to croak through the haze of pain. 

                       "I'll kill you!"

                       This _really scared Krillin, because he knew full well that she could, but he didn't have time for rational solutions. He tried again to approach her, but only got another energy blast. He managed to dodge the energy blast, but then she herself was on him, a blazing fury of hand-to-hand combat. _

                       Only partially blocking each technique, Krillin's best effort was not quite enough. He was far outmatched by her speed and strength. He retreated hastily through the air. Even though she was usually a silent fighter, Eighteen was very vocal in this instance. Whether she was screaming words, or just screaming, Krillin didn't have time to consider. His world exploded in pain once again as she landed a solid kick to his kidney. Somehow anticipating her next movement, Krillin managed to dodge the punch that was intended to put his teeth down his throat. He grabbed her wrist with one hand, her shoulder with the other, and flipped her head over heels towards the ground, all in one smooth movement. 

                       In her terror and confusion she must not have known what had happened, for she disappeared beneath the canopy again and hit the ground with a resounding thud. Krillin sensed her energy wasn't moving.

                       Slowly and cautiously he lowered himself to the ground a couple meters from her. She lay on the ground, facedown, her head turned to the side and her eyes staring blankly past him. Her torso expanded and contracted rhythmically with her breaths. Besides breathing, she made no other movements. 

                       Krillin approached her. 

                       She did not recoil. 

                       He knelt at her side, expecting that any second she would spring into action, flinging a fist into his face, or sweeping his legs out from under him. But no attack came. 

                       He laid a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. Almost upon contact, she turned over, pulled him fiercely close to her, buried her face in his chest and began to weep. Sobs wracked her body, and it was all a surprised Krillin could do to hold her in return and comfort her as she came to terms with her emotions. He could feel the heat of her tears through the light jacket he wore, and though the pain in his ribs and kidneys burned in his mind, his attention was completely on the beautiful blonde that was now crying on his shoulder. 

                       "I'm so sorry…" she bawled at one point.

                      "Shhh, don't apologize," he said in return.

                       It was quite some time before she had cried herself out. After she had no more tears to cry, Eighteen stayed buried in Krillin's chest for a while, hiding herself from the world. 

                       _Stupid me.__ Thinking it was "just a kiss." I should've known that something like that would happen; that he would… reach me. He's all I have now, and I guess it's enough, considering he cares about me enough to chase me down even after I've tried to kill him several times. After all, here I am, crying on his shoulder._

                       She looked up at him. There was nothing but the deepest sympathy in his eyes. 

                       "Thank you," she whispered, her voice broken.

                       He just pulled her close to him again. 


End file.
